[A protein-restricted diet combined with ACE inhibitors does not improve insulin sensitivity in renal hypertension]

Hypertension is one of the most important accelerating factors for progression of nephropathies. Its prevalence is about 35% in patients with nephropathies, even in minor or medium severe functional impairment. This is evidence that it is essential to select an optimal therapeutic regimen as soon as possible. A group of 38 patients (14 hypertensive patients) with a minor or medium severe functional impairment were included in a controlled trial. The patients were served a low-protein diet--0.6-0.7 g/kg/day and 2-10mg enalapril/day divided into two doses. The amount of enalapril depended on the blood pressure and enalapril was given also to normotensive patients. The investigation lasted 8 months. In the course of 8 months the authors did not reveal progression of the renal disease, as apparent from results of assessment of the creatinine level and clearance, assessment of uric acid and urea. The authors did not find deterioration of metabolic acidosis, nor of nephrogenic anaemia. Hypertensive patients had a tendency to deteriorating of insulin sensitivity while in normotensive patients a decline of triacylglycerols, VLDL and rise of HDL was recorded. The total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol level did not change. The authors conclude that the combination of a low-protein diet with ACEI in hypertensive and normotensive patients with mild to medium severe functional disorders inhibits the progression of nephropathies, but in hypertensive patients it does not prevent deterioration of insulin sensitivity.